Expert reviews and ratings

Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition is something of a guilty pleasure – it’s an archetypal mix of the sublime and ridiculous. It’s great fun and offers plenty for those who played the original. And if you’ve never played a Devil May Cry game before? You, too, will find its considerable charms difficult to resist.

Capcom seems to be on a remaster role lately; the company paid lip service to longtime fans with the HD re-release of the Resident Evil remake, which was previously exclusive to the Nintendo Gamecube. One record-breaking sales success later, and Capcom...

Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition is a good game wrapped in a great remastered package. Capcom could have just slapped together something with a higher resolution and called it an HD remaster like many are doing, but they elected to actually build upon their seven year old game by adding meaningful content.

The visual improvements and additional characters layered atop the Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition can't conceal its bloated structure. This is, without a doubt, the best this stylish action romp has looked and felt, but just because you can gussy up an old game, doesn't always mean that you should.

Stylish action games have evolved a lot in recent years, and this release skillfully straddles the line between new and old. The extra characters offer more variety and versatility that any fan of the genre should appreciate. They don’t completely mask the other problems, but the inventive twists on the content ultimately outweigh the legacy complaints.

Beyond the nice upgraded graphics and framerate, Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition puts all of its energy into adding three great new characters and fighting styles to Capcom’s over-the-top action game.